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Monday, 1 June 2015

The Collins
Dictionary defines a cynic as one who believes the worst in people and the
worst outcome of events.

Perhaps more
generously, business leadership guru /orchestral conductor Benjamin Zander
defines a cynic "as a passionate person who does not want to be disappointed
again.”

But what does
modern psychology tell us about the cynic and their earning power?

University of
Cologne researchers Olga Stavrova and Daniel Ehlebracht have studied cynics in
both Germany and the United States and suggest cynics make less money in the
long run than optimists.

The only exceptions to this rule, apparently,
are societies where holding a cynical attitude is the rule rather than the
exception.

Aleksandr with Turkish Tea Glass

a cynic’s half empty glass

or an optimist’s half full?

Under most
circumstances, the authors write, “overcoming cynical beliefs and building faith in
humanity can help us enhance our financial well-being by reaping the fruits of
mutual cooperation and joint efforts.” *

"Cynical
individuals are likely to lack the ability (or willingness) to rely on others,
and therefore face serious impairments in regard to living and working in a
social world."

A study published in Journal of Personality
and Social Psychology found that by comparing cynicism with average income
among people from a range of countries, people with low levels of cynicism
versus optimistic types, optimists earned almost £200 a month more than their
cynical counterparts.

And it's not
just their careers cynics are harming - it's been proven in the past that
cynicism creates tension in relationships and lowers health.

"While previous research has
associated cynicism with detrimental outcomes across a wide range of spheres of
life, including physical health, psychological well-being and marital
adjustment, the present research has established an association between
cynicism and individual economic success," said Olga Stavrova, the study's lead
author.

In the
spheres of commercial negotiations, professional selling and buying trust is
key in to collaborative opportunities in business. So I think this research is worth studying for those in selling who can both meet cynical resistance daily in their work, as well as the inner battles of confidence that from time to time play on their mind.

Being cynical
the study suggests means you lose out on collaboration opportunities.

Cynical
people might think they're more discerning and therefore more likely to make
the right decisions, but this isn't the case – becausethey
are less likely to trust others,

·they
often forego opportunities to work with others, which ultimately undermines
economic success.

Priority
of Risk Averse behaviour

Similarly,
cynical individuals might be likely to over-invest resources on protecting
themselves from potential deceit, "covering their backs" at the cost
of focusing on their jobs.

National and cultural differences

Some cynics
are more equal than others!

Being cynical
has a worse effect on career progression in certain countries, namely in
countries with higher levels of altruistic behaviour, lower homicide rates and
lower levels of overall societal cynicism the report claims.

"There
are actually some countries where cynical individuals do not necessarily earn
less than their less cynical compatriots," said Stavrova.

"These
countries are those with pervasively high societal cynicism scores, rare
pro-social behaviour (e.g., charity donations) and widespread antisocial
behaviour (as indicated by high homicide rates) - in other words, countries
where cynicism might be justified or even somewhat functional".

A number of additional studies back up this work from University of Cologne

The first
utilizes data on 1,146 participants in the Americans' Changing Lives survey who
were surveyed in 2002 and again in 2011.

Their degree
of cynicism was measured by their level of agreement (or disagreement) with
such statements as "Most people will
use somewhat unfair means to gain profit or an advantage." They also
listed their own and their spouse's joint income.

The second study used data on 497
participants in the General Social Survey. They responded to a similar set of
statements in 2010 and again in 2012.

The results
were strikingly similar. Both years they were surveyed, cynics had lower
incomes than optimists. In addition, the researchers found a link between
cynicism expressed in the first survey and income in the second, with optimists
out-earning their cynical counterparts.

A third study featured 15,698 Germans who
were surveyed annually between 2003 and 2012. The researchers found
participants' "baseline levels of cynicism" affected their earnings
trajectory over the next decade.

Specifically,
the monthly income of the least cynical people increased by about 230 Euros €
over nine years, while the most cynical people "did not experience any
significant income increase at all over that period of time”

The
researchers caution that this equation does not apply to all societies.

• In nations with high homicide rates,

• low levels of charitable giving,

• and an overall high level of
"societal cynicism,"

• cynics earn as much as their
less-cynical counterparts.

In those parts of the world where a dog-eat-dog
mentality reigns, cynicism apparently is warranted—although, even in such
places, it did not provide any financial advantage.

So, unless
you're living in one of those societies (such as Russia), "cynical beliefs about human nature have adverse effects on
individuals' income," the researchers conclude.

"Although cynical individuals were more
likely to report worse health and lower education, these differences could not
completely explain their lower earnings," they write. Nor, it turns
out, could the fact cynics "were
more likely to be more neurotic and introverted."

After ruling
those factors out, Stavrova and Ehlebracht came up with a more subtle
explanation for their findings.

"Cynical individuals are likely
to lack the ability (or willingness) to rely on others, and therefore face
serious impairments in regard to living and working in a social world," they write. "They are likely to suspect mean motives
behind other people's behaviour, might be less likely to join collaborative
efforts and avoid asking for help in case of need."

These
tendencies, they add, "may
eventually undermine their economic success."

Cynicism is,
of course, easy to fall into, especially for those who follow the news.

But be
aware that such a disposition colours many aspects of your life, including your
finances.

Rewards
generally require taking risks, and you're not likely to do so if you're
convinced the game is rigged.

As Oscar Wilde said " A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing"Good Optimistic Selling !

Related Links

Article: “Cynical Beliefs about Human Nature and Income: Longitudinal
and Cross-Cultural Analyses,” by Olga Stavrova, PhD, and Daniel Ehlebracht,
PhD, University of Cologne. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,
published on May 25, 2015.

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About Me

I have been a training consultant for 30 years.
I also research Buyers Views of Sales people for an ongoing research study I have done for the last twelve years
The majority of photographs, videos and audios in this blog are taken on my new Fujifilm Fine pix T from May 2012 The Pencil Sketches are mine also